, 1887-12-21
WOMEN As NIGHT WORKERS.
Their Numbers in New York City Con-
stantly Increasing@GlopIng for n Car.

Their Numbers in New York City Con-
stantly ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS for n Car.
The number is well nigh legion, in n big
city like New York, OF women and girls
whose daily tasks keep them from home
after dark, and who make their way
through the streets alone with IMMUNITY.
The belatcd traveller meets them, singly
md in groups at the bridge and ferries Mt
all hours from early dark till long past
midnight, and, if he is out himself, toward
morning. Some of them-nOt very many
set type in newspaper offices, though
they are supposed not to, and there is a
respectable minority in n great variety Of
trades and occupations, but the vast body
of them nre clerks and cashiers in the big
stores, whose labors during the busy sea-
son keep them AWAY from home late Mt
night. Even in stores where there is an
early closing" rule, the purchasers are
not got rid of till G O'Clock, when there is
still the work Of clearing up the days de-
hris to be done, and there is no pretense of
closing IN Saturday evenings or during
the holidays. Midnight very frequently
overtakes the toiler Mt the counter with
her tasks unfinished, and there are coca
sions when nearly the whole night must
be spent in preparation for some special
coup of trade.
The woman doctor is out Mt all hours,
of course, and l / have met n medical stu
lent of barely 90 trudging along Mt 2
O'Clock in the morning, while the falling
rain almost blinded her, her hand on the
shoulder of n ragged lad of 10, who was
conducting her TO a sick bed in the east
side tenement region.
II is a good deal to the credit OF the
metropolis that as a rule these girls are
nearly as safe from rudeness MS in the
daylight. They are modest and unob-
trusive in appearance, they mind their
own business and have ways to make the
would be masher mind his. From night
toilcrs of the other KIN and boys
who are put o. night on errands Of neces-
sity-they have little to fear. The work
ingman or boy may be rude when he is
drunk, and sometimes when he is not, but
he is seldom persistent and not often in
tentionally troublesome.
This growing frequency of night en-
ployment for women means n tremendous
change in the once accepted notions and
opinions of mankind. The judge who de-
clares from the bench that n woman has
no business to be abroad after lark is yet
heard from once in a while, but the ma
chronism always calls forth n burst of
righteous indignation. Twas talking with
n night worker masculine the other day
about this very topic. He said that he
had often lost his horse car and had to
wait n half hour for another in the wee
small hours because of his reluctance to
let n fellow worker feminine grope alone
for her car in the muddy streets. Despite
this experience, which is enough to make
any but the most sweet tempered man
conservative, he spoke most enthusiastic
cally of the effect likely to be produced
upon women, especially young women, by
self supporting habits, and said he looked
10 see them gain in worth and dignity
and practical knowledge by contact with
practical necessities. The working girl
will never be wholly practical, however,
30 long as h permits n man to lose his
own car while finding hers unless she has
reasons to suspect that the service is n
pleasure to him.
The more nearly ever the terms upon
which women and men conduct their daily
business the better it is for the business
woman probably.-Sew YOrk Cor. Wash
ington Post.